1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural implements, and, more particularly, to agricultural tillage implements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Farmers utilize a wide variety of tillage implements to prepare soil for planting. Some such implements include two or more sections coupled together to perform multiple functions as they are pulled through fields by a tractor. For example, a field cultivator is capable of simultaneously tilling soil and leveling the tilled soil in preparation for planting. A field cultivator has a frame that carries a number of cultivator shanks with shovels at their lower ends for tilling the soil. The field cultivator converts compacted soil into a level seedbed with a consistent depth for providing excellent conditions for planting of a crop. Grass or residual crop material disposed on top of the soil is also worked into the seedbed so that it does not interfere with a seeding implement subsequently passing through the seedbed.
A field cultivator as described above may also include an optional rear auxiliary implement for finishing the seedbed for seeding. For example, a rear auxiliary implement may include a spike tooth harrow, spring tooth harrow, rolling (aka. crumbler) basket, etc., or any combination thereof. The rolling basket has a reel with a plurality of blades for breaking clods into smaller sizes and chopping up the debris still remaining on the top of the soil.
Often field cultivators have a substantial width with multiple sections running parallel with each other. These wide cultivators can cover a ground contour or profile that varies considerably over the cultivator width. It is not unusual for the width of the cultivator to significantly exceed the operational length of the cultivator.
What is needed in the art is an easy to use mechanism for following the varying terrain of a field with an agricultural tillage implement as the implement traverses a field.